Termed as one of the players who will define cricket's next decade, the 20-year-old, on the comeback trail after a knee surgery, says 'he'll do whatever it takes to live up to people's expectation'.
"Any such comparison with Sachin bhai is not only flattering butrather intimidating. I know it's a huge task because he is simply from anotherplanet. Players of our generation idolise him. Still, I have age on my side andwould do whatever it takes to live up to people's expectation," the20-year-old player, recovering from a knee surgery, told PTI.
The latest issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine clubs Raina with theAustralians trio of Michael Clarke, Shaun Tait and Shane Watson, England batsmanKevin Pietersen, Pakistani paceman Mohammad Asif, Sri Lankan freak pacer LasithMalinga, West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, New Zealand batsman Ross Taylorand Bangladesh vice-captain Mohammad Ashraful as the players who will definecricket's next decade.
A Greg Chappell favourite, Raina played his last ODI against the West Indiesand lost his place in the one-day side on the South Africa tour. Another setbackgreeted the youngster in the form of a knee injury during the Central Zoneone-day tournament at Indore, which required surgery and has kept him out ofaction since then.
Raina, however, is not crying over spilt milk after losing the Team Indiaberth and instead, is utilising the break to get back into top physicalcondition.
"That was a bad time. The entire team was going through a rough phaseand so was the case with me. It was collective failure and I learnt a lot fromthat phase, which would stand me in good stead. I did not allow the frustrationof being dropped to perturb me", Raina said.
"I'm watching old clippings and trying to get everything fine-tuned. I'mgoing to the gym and working on cardio, upper body, legs.
"It would take another 3-4 weeks before I can start fielding and youwould see me again chasing the ball and sliding. Right now, I'm practising withhanging balls and tennis balls, avoiding any risk to my knee," he said.
Raina wants to bat his way out of the woes and derives inspiration from,among others, Sourav Ganguly, whom he replaced on a couple of occasions.
" I want my bat to do the job for me. Sachin Tendulkar has done it timeand again, so did Rahul (Dravid) and Dada (Ganguly). Dada in factset a great example for the youngsters and we can learn from them."
Team India's electric heel in the inner circle in the 36 ODIs he played sofar, Raina also hailed the BCCI decision to rope in Robin Singh as the fieldingcoach of the side.
"In contemporary cricket, a run saved is no less important than a runscored and Robin sir is just the right person.
"I have worked under him in the under-19 team and I would look forwardto it again. He is a disciplinarian but at the same time, mingles with theplayers like a fellow player. You can't have a better person for the job",he added.
PTI